Once upon a December
by SeleccionPeruana
Summary: Dora-the-Kid and Dora-nikov come to Kiev, where they experience winter and Christmas. As such, they like how Kiev becomes a romantic ground as it could help them before they book their ticket to the UAE for a big soccer tournament.


As for a love song.

…

…

…

#####

Kiev, Ukraine

Dora-the-Kid stood from upstair, played a guitar where he saw the snows started to fall. It was the time, as him and Nikov could not waste it anymore.

In the city of Kiev, Nikov wondered how could it be like. Kid felt the same too. It was the old day that making them to miss.

They wondered.

"Hey, Nikov."

"(Yeah?)"

"What do you think about this year's Christmas?"

"(I don't know. Why?)"

"You're in Ukraine, my friend. The country you're at war."

"(I am still there. I don't hate Ukraine, nor Ukrainians. It should not be a war on the beginning.)"

"I heard you're writing a love poet there."

"(Kind of.)"

"Do you still wish for it?"

"(I'd like to write again.)"

"The pray."

Nikov and Kid slowly took their guitars. Nikov with a traditional Ukrainian guitar, while Kid with a Spanish made. Both wanted to end this.

They slowly played their guitar in the steppe near Kiev. And, it came through …

…

Dancing bears  
Painted wings  
Things I almost remember  
And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

As the street was about to have Christmas, Kiev still saw a little to cheer. Oh the beautiful, magnificent Kiev, once glorious cities where holding many memories of different rulers.

Christmas in Kiev is among one of the finest in Europe. It was so amazing.

Someone holds me safe and warm  
Horses prance through a silver storm  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory…

As both Kid and Nikov went beyond, they seemed to be a bit sorrow. It was because so long, they could not see this snowy season like that to come. It finally appeared on their eyes and they liked them very much, the beauty and nature of Ukrainian winter.

Different from Polish, Russian, Czech, Croatian and Serbian ones, as described by Nikov, Ukrainian winter has the unique of ancient times. Since ancient era, winter plays an important role of the development of ideal Ukrainian romantic culture, as opposed from Russian culture somehow.

That's why Nikov felt strange.

He always felt a strong connection. Even between Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, Slovak, Czech to South Slavic, there are hardly any differences.

As an old Slavic quote: "We may not be friend, but we are connected."

…

Far away, long ago  
Glowing dim as an ember  
Things my heart  
Used to know  
Once upon a December

And they shared that.

Dora-the-Kid reminded Dora-nikov to remember the Winter of Istanbul, where they captured some of romantic moments by themselves. Istanbul, the Turkish city, hindered on Kid's memoir. He has affection, both love and hate, on Turkey, and he can speak Turkish language. Kid smiled:

"Güzellik olarak hakim." ( _As the beauty prevail._ )

Nikov understood that.

The Ottoman Empire used to have an Ukrainian woman who became Queen Consort, Hürrem Sultan. This affects Kid when he first arrived to Turkey. Ukrainian women have the natural beauty only winter can describe.

Hence, it was why Kid and Nikov in Ukraine. They saw the last of Tsar Nicholas II from a Kievan Church.

…

And Ukraine reflects the old memoir of old Tsarist Russian Empire.

Someone holds me safe and warm  
Horses prance through a silver storm  
Figures dancing gracefully  
Across my memory…

As for this thing, Kid and Nikov kept playing guitars. When they kept pressing with their feeling toward, it was a strange time when Nikov and Kid saw in the Maidan Square's Christmas Tree.

It was about that.

And with Dora-nikov, it was astonishing.

He meant a lot of things. True. But it must be emphasized on their feeling. They walked and saw that a girl running into a boy.

And they needed to see this coming.

Her words appeared …

… so romantic, but perhaps for the breathe she would not want to waste. Nikov and Kid knew and respected that.

"И у нас есть." ( _And we have._ )

"(Як сніг зима падає.)" ( _Like how winter snowfall._ ) Nikov is capable on reading Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish outside Russian, so he wasn't surprised.

She hugged him …

Far away, long ago  
Glowing dim as an ember  
Things my heart  
Used to know  
Things it yearns to remember…

Well, what'd gone to be would be like that.

And as they just sat everything down together, there was no discussion. Their passion, their love, respect, all for Dora-the-Kid and Dora-nikov, they viewed as a natural miracle of the society and the life, gift of God for them to love and live.

It could be seen like that. And there was no real question to them at all. As the girl kept running, she hugged, and their sense went on.

Thus, it gathered their harmony.

Winter followed with the day God was born. The day Jesuit Christ blessed toward them. They thanked the saints and the lucks, the sentiment that bringing them to the life. A bless.

Kid and Nikov saw how it went through in Kiev, the ancient capital of Kievan Rus', predecessor of modern Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Their music reflects most of the old Imperial Russia and the old Eastern Slavic music, which they surely admired.

Oh dear.

And a song someone sings  
Once upon a … December

So be it.

"Houki!"

"Ichika!"

They could not leave, again. Kid and Nikov this time shared opinions:

"Если есть ангел, то это произошло." ( _If there is an angel, then this has come through._ )

This made them to miss Anastasia very much. The last Princess of Russia, she was still a young girl. Hopefully, it never lost anymore, and it should be. The beautiful old Russia had long gone now.

And Kid with Nikov both agreed.

Having seen everything, now they just wished, Christmas to have never gone. Because it was too wonderful, at the city of Kiev, capital of Ukraine. Nikov's Cossack life greatly influenced by Ukrainian culture, after Russian one.

Houki and Ichika hugged, under Kievan snow, and that was the end of the guitar plays. Nikov and Kid, sitting far away, just walked out. After that, they knew, they would have to fly to the UAE.

"(Let's head to Dubai.)"

"Agree."

They stepped out, and that's it. They would be in the UAE, and they had to fulfill it. Before that, Nikov and Kid shared their wish.

…

"May Christmas bless you all."


End file.
